Voyage to Earth

by AJ Marks

The Rescue

The lone figure made his way back towards a run-down shelter, his clothes torn and ragged, and his hair down to his shoulder blades. A beard looked as if he had not been able to shave in a couple of months, or more. He stopped his progression, looking up into the sky hoping to spot a familiar outline of an approaching craft. His burning desire to finally be rescued off this awful planet and back for revenge. The supplies he had been left with were almost gone, the original shelter destroyed in a storm.

He secured a new shelter that could withstand the storms of the planet. It provided protection, but little else. It kept him dry which he learned to be thankful for. The nearby lake had a supply of fish that was eatable, but not tasty. He found no intelligent life on the planet at all.

His small low power distress beacon he salvaged from the wreckage of the original shelter, and he considered it his most prized procession. The range was extremely limited, and he found he might be able to boost the range, but it would drain its limited battery supply. So he kept it on the low power.

“One day Adama, I will leave this god forsaken rock and get my revenge,” Baltar said, looking up into the night sky. “Someday the Cylons will come for me, and when they do, you are finished.”

He raised a fist up to space, wishing Adama could hear his rage.

Turning he retired back into his living quarters, and prepared some of the fish he caught earlier in the day. He longed for the day when he could eat again in more comfortable surroundings. His thoughts went back to the Galactica and Adama, and hoped the Cylons had not destroyed them. He wanted to do it himself.

Taking a bit of the warmed up fish, he choked it down with some water. Such a tasteless dinner, and wished he was a better hunter. There were larger animals on the planet, and they might taste better.

He paused, hearing an unexpected noise, something he had not expected this night. Quickly setting down the food he made his way to the door, and looked out. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. He had scared off some larger carnivores but this sound, it had not been an animal. He paused, straining to hear anything, but only a slight breeze answered him.

Baltar went back inside and resumed eating. Once he finished that he make a routine check on his shelter for any problems. Storms popped up without little warning. He did not wish for his shelter to collapse in the middle of a storm again.

Satisfied with the inspection, he lay down for the night, hoping to wake up from this nightmare.

*****

Three figures made their way towards what they had picked up while on patrol. They did not bother to be quiet, or hide from anyone who they approached. Breaking though the clearing one man stood there, looking at them, smiling.

“Cylons,” Baltar said, looking at the three centurions standing before him. “It took you long enough to find me.”

The centurion stopped at the unexpected development. They expected the human to hide, or flee, or anything but taking a commanding stance with them.

“Surrender human,” the leader of the group said.

“I am Baltar you stupid centurion, you will take me to your basestar commander at once,” Baltar ordered, using every bit of his patience to get through to the Cylon. It paused as it seemed to try to comprehend what happened.

Baltar followed them back to their raider, relieved to finally be leaving the wretched planet. Soon his thoughts of revenge would finally be complete. The basestar had never been such a welcomed sight, even as he stood in front of the basestar commander.

“So, you’re the one called Baltar,” the commander said, looking down from his chair at the human. Baltar looked back up at it without fear.

“I am,” Baltar said, not backing down from the commander. “Where is the Imperious Leader?” He wanted his command back.

“Our exulted Imperious Leader is on Gamoray at this moment,” the commander replied. “Our outer capital city has been rebuilt in the last yahren.”

“Then take me to him at once,” Baltar ordered, waiting a second before the commander spoke.

“Very well Baltar, set course for Gamoray, maximum speed,” the commander said to a centurion who turned to carry out the orders.

Baltar smiled at the prospect of what happened. Everything was happening to his plan now. “I require a place to wash up before my appearance before the Imperious Leader.”

“Of course,” the commander replied, motioning a centurion forward. Baltar was led to the prison area of the ship, the only area which had facilities for humans. He did not mind, and had expected it to happen.

He quickly shaved away his facial hair, and cut his hair before deciding to get some sleep before arriving at Gamoray. He would return to the Cylon Empire. He would have preferred his own ship and quarters, at least here he did not have to worry about animal, or storms, a Cylon ship was clean and he appreciated it now. He always wondered why a machine race which wanted to destroy humanity, would adopt so much of their civilization. They had civilians, the ships had corridors, with hallways and crew quarters, even a holding area for organic life they might capture.

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he settled down for some sleep.

*****

“Report commander,” the Imperious Leader said, waiting for the reply from the commander of the basestar headed towards Gamory at high-speed.

“By your command,” the commander replied before continuing. “We have found the human known as Baltar.”

“Baltar, yes I will speak with him. Have him brought before me for questioning when you arrive,” the Imperious Leader ordered.

“By your command,” the commander said, signing off.

The imperious Leader had many questions since his surrender to the humans. He learned that from Lucifer who had reported in before they lost contact with the human fleet. Their efforts to find them had been futile lately, and he hoped with his new development they might finally find the humans.

They had lost a battlestar about a year ago, but they did not know who destroyed it, it sent no communications before it was attacked. The imperious Leader assumed it had been done by the humans, as no other race had been found in the area. Several basestars were sent out into the area to scan for the Galactica, but nothing had been found. Their forces were stretched still, despite a new buildup of forces now that the humans had been defeated. Yet even in defeat they had been dangerous.

“Centurion, tell Lucifer’s basestar to come to Gamory at once,” the Imperious Leader said. The centurion walked out of the room to carry out the order. Baltar represented their best chance to once more find the human fleet.

Despite the man’s failures he had been able to find the humans. The Imperious Leader would use that skill one more time, and then finally crush the human fleet in a massive battle.

He thought about another basestar, but Lucifer was used to Baltar’s unusual tactics, and even now operated differently than other commanders. He would make sure to have a force of basestars waiting nearby for the final battle.

*****

Lucifer turned to the communications screen having been told of an incoming message for him from the Imperious Leader. He wondered what the message might be, he had done nothing lately to have the wrath of the Imperious Leader brought down upon him.

Lucifer knew he was a bit off course, but nothing major. He had been allowed such things in the past due to his exposure to Baltar. Even now he tried to think as he had, where the humans might go, what they might need. He assumed the fleet had turned after the last sighting, something he thought of right away, but the Imperious Leader had not.

“By your command,” Lucifer said, as the communications connected and another IL series Cylon stood there.

“By the command of our Imperious Leader, you are to move with all due speed to the outer capital of Gamoray,” the Cylon said to him.

“A course shall be set immediately,” Lucifer said.

The communications ended leaving Lucifer curious about why he was being recalled to the capital. He knew the imperious Leader was there, and a small part of him hoped for some important mission, something he could boast to Specter about. His nemesis had been given the command of a basestar, despite his failures, something Lucifer could not understand.

He turned and ordered the basestar back to Gamoray at the fastest possible speed.

*****

Baltar felt better than he had in almost a yahren, now that he was no longer in the prison cell, or alone on that planet Adama placed him on. He begrudgingly accepted that Adama still had his honor for keeping his end of the deal. He, Baltar, would not have kept the deal.

His spirits lifted and he wondered if the Cylons had finally improved their basestar designs. Might ships, they were still equal to a battlestar, or less depending on the commander in charge as they learned at Gamoray against Cain. The big difference when the Cylons had defeated the fleet, he had kept any vipers from launching, and the fleet was almost completely vulnerable. If Adama had not been so distrustful the Cylons would have won.

He stood wondering how long he had slept. The Centurion approached the door.

“Report,” Baltar said, waiting.

“By your command. We will arrive at Gamoray in twenty centons,” the centurion said.

“Excelent, lead on,” Baltar said, smiling. The centurion turned and led Baltar to a small storage room where they had stored what he had taken from the planet. He found a the medallion that showed his position from the Council and put it on, a reminder of who he was.

Finally he made his way to the hangar, where a ship waited to take him down to the surface. Last time here he never made it down there, now he could see the civilization of the Cylon race.

Several centurions greeted him as he stepped out of the ship, and waited for the IL series Cylon to speak.

“Welcome Baltar, I am Thedius, your companion while you are on Gamoray,” the closest one said.

“Thedius,” Baltar said, the name not familiar to him. “What about the last commander who was here?”

“He was dismantled over his failure to destroy the Galactica, and his poor security of the fuel and supplies at the capital,” Thedius said, making Baltar a bit nervous for the first time.

“And what are your orders?” Baltar asked, hoping they were more favorable towards him.

“To take you to the Imperious Leader himself.”

“Then carry out your orders,” Baltar said.

Baltar followed Thedius and the other IL series Cylons towards a building. Down a few hallways and into a large room where he spotted the Imperious Leader sitting, watching as they entered the room.

“Balter, it is good to see you still alive,” the Imperious Leader said.

“It’s good to serve the Cylon Empire once more,” Baltar said, bowing towards the Cylon, hoping that he was not here for his execution.

“We require your services still Baltar,” the Imperious Leader said. “Since the battlestars Galactica and Pegasus attacked Gamoray we have since lost contact with the human fleet.

“You require my help in finding them again,’ Baltar asked, privately rejoicing that the Galactica had not been destroyed yet. He still could have his revenge.

“Yes, their logic is still mysterious to us,” the Imperious Leader replied. “Lucifer is on route here with your basestar.”

“When will it arrive?”

“Midday tomorrow, for now review any information we have,” The Imperious Leader said.

“Then I shall start right away,” Baltar said, bowing to the cylon and preparing to leave.

“And Baltar, this time, we expect results, not the failures of the past.”

“Of course,” Baltar said, swallowing slightly as he headed out of the room. He wanted to destroy Adama as much as the Imperious Leader. And soon he would have his revenge. The first thing he would look for, was the loss of a basestar, and then where he was picked up, following that he could calculate where the Galactica had gone.